Recloser battery assembly

ABSTRACT

A circuit interrupting device for use with a electrical power distribution system includes a housing containing a circuit interrupting mechanism. A battery tube is positioned in the housing. A battery assembly is configured to be inserted into the battery tube. The battery assembly includes a battery assembly body having a first end and a second end. A battery is positioned in the battery assembly body. The battery assembly is configured such that both a positive contact and a negative contact are exposed from the second end of the battery assembly body. In some embodiments, the battery assembly includes a keyed portion mates with the battery tube to ensure alignment of the battery assembly in the battery tube.

RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.15/584,917 filed May 2, 2017 which is based on U.S. provisionalapplication Ser. No. 62/330,355, filed May 2, 2016, the disclosure ofwhich is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety and to whichpriority is claimed.

FIELD

Various exemplary embodiments relate to a battery assembly for a utilityline circuit interrupter such as a recloser.

BACKGROUND

Conventional circuit interrupting devices, such as circuit breakers, andreclosers, provide protection for power distribution systems and thevarious apparatus on those power distribution systems by isolating afaulted section from the upstream power source in the system. Faultcurrent, or momentary current surges, in the system can occur undervarious conditions, including lightning, an animal or tree contactingthe power lines, or adjacent power lines contacting each other. Forexample, windy conditions often cause power lines strung between polesto swing, thereby momentarily touching each other or a groundedconductor. These types of transitory events cause momentary power lineshort circuits that in turn cause fuses to burn out or circuit breakerto trip.

Most of the faults occurring on a line are transient faults, as opposedto permanent faults, and do not require permanent protection. Therefore,reclosers are a common solution for clearing these types of transientfaults without causing a permanent power outage. Reclosers are typicallymounted to support structures in electrical power distribution systemsto provide continuous electrical service up to a programmed currentthreshold. Reclosers detect faults, i.e., overcurrent events past theprogrammed threshold, and interrupt the load current when theovercurrent event persists for a predetermined amount of time which isdetermined by the overcurrent value. If the recloser operates andtemporarily interrupts the load current, it will automatically restoreservice after the transient fault condition is gone. If a fault ispermanent, the recloser locks out, i.e., permanently opens the circuit,after a preset number of operations, thereby isolating the faultedsection of the system.

SUMMARY

According to an exemplary embodiment, a circuit interrupting device foruse within a power distribution system includes a housing containing acircuit interrupting mechanism. A battery tube is positioned in thehousing. A battery assembly is configured to be inserted into thebattery tube. The battery assembly includes a battery assembly bodyhaving a first end and a second end. A battery is positioned within thebattery assembly body. A positive contact is electrically connected tothe battery and is exposed from the second end of the battery assemblybody. A negative contact is electrically connected to at least one ofthe one or more batteries and exposed from the second end of the batteryassembly body.

According to another exemplary embodiment, a circuit interrupting devicefor use within a power distribution system includes a housing containinga circuit interrupting mechanism. A battery tube is positioned in thehousing. The battery tube has a first mating feature, a first positivecontact, and a first negative contact. A battery assembly is configuredto be inserted into the battery tube. The battery assembly includes asecond mating feature configured to mate with the first mating feature,a second positive contact, and a second negative contact. The first andsecond mating features ensure a proper alignment of the battery assemblyin the battery tube to electrically connect the first and secondpositive contact and electrically connect the first and second negativecontacts.

According to another exemplary embodiment, a circuit interrupting devicefor use within a power distribution system includes a housing containinga circuit interrupting mechanism. A battery tube is positioned in thehousing. A battery assembly is configured to be inserted into thebattery tube. The battery assembly includes a battery assembly bodyhaving a first end and a second end and a keyed body portion. A batteryis positioned in the battery assembly body. A cap is connected to thefirst end of the battery assembly body. A contact casing is connected tothe second end of the battery assembly body. The contact casing has acasing keyed portion aligned with the keyed body portion. A positivecontact is electrically connected to the battery and at least partiallypositioned in the contact casing. A negative contact is electricallyconnected to the battery and at least partially positioned in thecontact casing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The aspects and features of various exemplary embodiments will be moreapparent from the description of those exemplary embodiments taken withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of an exemplary automatic recloser;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of an exemplary battery battery assembly foruse with a recloser;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the assembled battery battery assembly;

FIG. 4 is a side, sectional view of the battery battery assembly rotated90 degrees from FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an exemplary battery assembly body;

FIG. 6 is a side view of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a side, sectional view of the battery assembly body rotated 90degrees from FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a side, sectional view of an exemplary battery assembly;

FIG. 9 is a rear perspective view of an exemplary contact casing;

FIG. to is a rear view of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a front perspective view of FIG. 9;

FIG. 12 is a top, sectional view of FIG. 9; and

FIG. 13 is a side, sectional view of the battery battery assemblyconnected to an exemplary battery tube.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 shows, a circuit interrupting device for a power distributionsystem, such as an automatic recloser 10, although certain aspects ofthe circuit interrupting device can be incorporated into other circuitinterrupting devices, such as circuit breakers that do not reclose. Therecloser 10 generally includes a housing 12 containing a circuitinterrupting mechanism 14 used in conjunction with an actuator, which iselectrically controlled by an electronic control assembly. The circuitinterrupting mechanism 14 is preferably a vacuum interrupter, but can beany type of interrupting means such as SF6 gas interrupter or a soliddielectric interrupter. The actuator is preferably a solenoid, but maybe any known electrical or mechanical actuating or operating mechanism.The recloser 10 can include a mounting bracket 16 for mounting thehousing 12 to a utility pole or other structure.

A battery 18 can be used, for example, as a power source for theelectronic control assembly in order to close the vacuum interruptercontacts, such as when initially installing the recloser 10 and afterlock-out due to a permanent fault. The battery 18 can be used for otherpurposes as well, such as powering peripheral devices coupled to therecloser or providing power to external indicators, such as externalvisual indicators. The battery 18 is received within the housing 12 andremovably secured thereto. Additional components and operation of therecloser 10 as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art arefurther described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,794,596, which is herebyincorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIGS. 2-4 show an exemplary embodiment of a battery assembly 20 thatincludes a cap assembly 22, a seal (e.g. an O-ring) 24, a batteryassembly body 26, a first battery pad 28, a battery 3 o, a secondbattery pad 32, a set of contacts 34, and a contact casing 36. Whenassembled, a portion of the battery assembly body 26 extends through thecap assembly 22 and is held in place by a retainer 38, for example anE-clip. The battery 30 and battery pads 28, 32 are retained in thebattery assembly body 26 and the contact casing 36 is connected to thebattery assembly body 26.

FIGS. 5-7 show an exemplary embodiment of a battery assembly body 26having a front portion that includes a shaft 40 that extends through thecap assembly 22 and includes a first annular groove 42 to receive theretainer 38 (see, FIG. 4). The shaft 40 extends to a base 44 having awidth larger than the shaft 40. One or more ribs 46 extend from the baseand along a portion of the shaft 40. The ribs 46 provide support to theshaft 40 and engage with the cap 20 and can additionally provide spacingbetween the cap 20 and the battery assembly body 26. A second annulargroove 48 is provided below the base 44 to receive a gasket, for examplethe O-ring 24 shown in FIG. 2.

A middle portion of the battery assembly body 26 includes a flange 50positioned proximate the second annular groove 48 shown in FIG. 5. Oneor more ribs 52 extend from the flange 500 along the battery assemblybody 26. As previously mentioned, the ribs 52 can provide support forthe battery assembly body 26 and help to space the battery assembly body26 from a housing, such as when the battery assembly body 26 is placedin a battery tube in a recloser 10. The middle portion of the batteryassembly body 26 receives the battery 30. As shown in FIG. 7, theinterior of the battery assembly body 26 includes a longitudinal groove54 for receiving a portion of the battery 30 as explained below. Invarious exemplary embodiments, a keyed protrusion 56 can be provided onan outer surface of the battery assembly body 26, as best shown in FIGS.5 and 6. The keyed protrusion 56 is raised from the major outer surfaceof the battery assembly body 26 and has a different cross section.

As shown in FIG. 6, a rear portion of the battery assembly body 26includes one or more openings 58. The openings 58 receive a portion ofthe contact casing 36 to securely fasten the contact casing 36 to thebattery assembly body 26, for example to provide a snap-fit connectionthat still allows the contact casing 36 to be removed if desired. Twoopenings 58 are shown here, although fewer or more openings 58 can beused depending on the desired connection. One end of the batteryassembly body 26 also includes a keyed portion 60 that has a differentcross section (for example a flat portion) that can assist with properalignment of the battery assembly 20 during installation. The keyedportion 600 may include grooves, extruded portions, or a different keyconfiguration in other embodiments.

FIG. 8 shows an exemplary embodiment of the one or more batteries 30that includes an outer casing 62, a positive lead 64, and a negativelead 66. The negative lead 66 extends outside of the casing and isreceived in the longitudinal groove 54 in the battery assembly body 26.In one exemplary configuration, the one or more batteries 30 are formedfrom two sets of two lithium ion cell batteries 68 separated by apoly-switch fuse assembly 70. In other embodiments, different types ofbatteries and/or configurations can be utilized.

FIGS. 9-12 show an exemplary embodiment of the contact casing 36. Thecontact casing 36 includes a rear portion 72 that is positioned adjacentto and the outer wall of the battery assembly body 26 and a frontportion 74 that extends into the battery assembly body 26. As shown inFIG. 9, a semicircular wall 76 partially separates the front portion 74from the rear portion 72.

The rear portion 72 includes a positive terminal opening 78 and anegative terminal opening 800 provided in an outer face of the contactcasing 36. The contact casing 36 also includes a keyed portion 82 thataligns with the keyed portion 60 of the battery assembly body 26. In oneembodiment, the keyed portion 82 includes a flat surface that is boundby a pair of channels or grooves 84. Tabs 86 extend upwardly from thegrooves 84. The combination of the tabs 86 and grooves 84 allow forproper alignment and a secure fit into the battery assembly body 26. Alower opening 88 is positioned below the positive and negative terminalopenings 78, 80. As shown in FIG. 10, the lower opening 88 has asubstantially cylindrical configuration, although other shapes andconfigurations can be used. For example, different rectilinear orcurvilinear shapes can be used. The mouth of the lower opening 88 can bewider or substantially funnel-shaped to help provide alignment with amating protrusion.

The front portion 74 includes a set of protrusions 900 that extend fromthe circular wall 76 as shown in FIG. 11. One or more cantilevered arms92 having a hook member are used to connect the contact casing 36 to thebattery assembly body 26. The cantilevered arms 92 form a detent, suchas a releasable snap-fit connection, although other connections can beused. As illustrated in FIG. 12, a positive conduit 94 and a negativeconduit 96 extend to the positive terminal opening 78 and the negativeterminal opening 80, respectively. The contacts 34 (see, FIG. 4) areconnected to respective battery leads through a conductor and extendinto the respective conduits 94, 96 and are exposed through therespective terminal openings 78, 80 when the contact casing 36 isaffixed to the battery assembly body 26.

According to an exemplary embodiment, the assembled battery assembly 20is inserted into a battery receptacle, or tube 100 coupled to therecloser 10. FIG. 13 shows an exemplary battery tube 100 that includes asubstantially cylindrical body 102 for receiving the battery assemblybody 26. The battery tube 100 is shown separately from the recloserhousing 12 for clarity. In some embodiments, the battery tube 100 isseparable from the housing 12 or formed integrally within the housing12.

The cylindrical body 102 includes a keyed portion 104 that mates withthe keyed portion 60 of the battery assembly body 26 and the keyedportion 82 of the contact casing 36. A protrusion 106 extends from awall of the battery tube 100 that mates with or otherwise extends intothe lower opening 88 of the contact casing 36 as shown in FIG. 14. Agroove or channel can also be provided in the battery tube 100 toreceive the keyed protrusion 56. In an exemplary embodiment illustratedin FIG. 13, the groove or channel is at least partially defined by apair of indents 108 formed in the battery tube 100. The battery tube 100can also include, or be connected to, a positive contact 110 and anegative contact 112 that electrically connect to the contacts 34 of thebattery battery assembly 20. For example, a positive pin and a negativepin can extend into the positive terminal opening 78 and the negativeterminal opening 80, respectively, and connect to the positive andnegative contacts 34.

Typically, batteries used for reclosers must be carefully andspecifically positioned by an installer to place the battery contacts ina correct alignment. This is dangerous for an installer who is underhazardous conditions due to the potential for electrocution and exposureto harsh weather elements. The keyed portions of the battery assembly 20eliminate the difficulties in aligning the battery battery assembly inthe battery tube 100. The keyed portions also help prevent unwantedrotation and ensure a secure fit of the battery battery assembly 20 inthe battery tube 100 while in use, which can be caused by, e.g.,vibrations in the recloser 10, line current, recloser operations, orenvironmental conditions such as wind or thermal fluctuations. Also,typical utility line circuit interrupter batteries do not include bothpositive and negative contacts at a single end, which helps provide aneasier connection and alignment. Although a particular shape andconfiguration is shown for the mating keyed portions, other shapes andconfigurations can be used that provide a mating alignment in aparticular orientation that allows for easier installation of thebattery assembly 20.

The foregoing detailed description of the certain exemplary embodimentshas been provided for the purpose of explaining the general principlesand practical application, thereby enabling others skilled in the art tounderstand the disclosure for various embodiments and with variousmodifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. Thisdescription is not necessarily intended to be exhaustive or to limit thedisclosure to the exemplary embodiments disclosed. Any of theembodiments and/or elements disclosed herein may be combined with oneanother to form various additional embodiments not specificallydisclosed. Accordingly, additional embodiments are possible and areintended to be encompassed within this specification and the scope ofthe appended claims. The specification describes specific examples toaccomplish a more general goal that may be accomplished in another way.

As used in this application, the terms “front,” “rear,” “upper,”“lower,” “upwardly,” “downwardly,” and other orientational descriptorsare intended to facilitate the description of the exemplary embodimentsof the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the structureof the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure to any particularposition or orientation. Terms of degree, such as “substantially” or“approximately” are understood by those of ordinary skill to refer toreasonable ranges outside of the given value, for example, generaltolerances associated with manufacturing, assembly, and use of thedescribed embodiments.

What is claimed:
 1. A circuit interrupting device for use with a powerdistribution system, comprising: a housing containing a circuitinterrupting mechanism; a battery tube coupled to the housing; and abattery assembly configured to be inserted into the battery tube, thebattery assembly comprising, a battery assembly body having a first endand a second end, a battery positioned in the battery assembly body, apositive contact electrically connected to the battery and exposed fromthe second end of the battery assembly body, and a negative contactelectrically connected to the battery and exposed from the second end ofthe battery assembly body.
 2. The circuit interrupting device of claim1, wherein the battery assembly includes a first keyed portion that isconfigured to mate with a second keyed portion of the battery tube. 3.The circuit interrupting device of claim 2, wherein the battery assemblybody has a substantially cylindrical configuration and the keyed portionincludes a flattened section at the second end of the battery assemblybody.
 4. The circuit interrupting device of claim 2, wherein the keyedportion includes a projection extending along at least a portion of thebattery assembly body, wherein the projection has a cross-sectionalshape different from a major outer surface of the battery assembly body.5. The circuit interrupting device of claim 1, wherein the batteryassembly body has a substantially cylindrical configuration.
 6. Thecircuit interrupting device of claim 1, wherein the battery tubeincludes a projection extending from a rear wall into the tube and thebattery assembly includes an opening configured to receive theprojection.
 7. The circuit interrupting device of claim 1, wherein acontact casing is connected to the second end of the battery assemblybody.
 8. A circuit interrupting device for use with a power distributionsystem, comprising: a housing containing a circuit interrupting device;a battery tube coupled to the housing, the battery tube having a firstmating feature, a first positive contact, and a first negative contact;and a battery assembly configured to be inserted into the battery tube,the battery assembly including a second mating feature configured tomate with the first mating feature, a second positive contact, and asecond negative contact, wherein the first and second mating featuresensure a proper alignment of the battery assembly in the battery tube,and wherein the proper alignment facilitates the electrical connectionbetween the first and second positive contacts and electrically connectthe first and second negative contacts.
 9. The circuit interruptingdevice of claim 8, wherein the first mating feature includes a firstkeyed portion and the second mating feature includes a second keyedportion.
 10. The circuit interrupting device of claim 9, wherein thebattery tube includes a third mating feature, and wherein the batteryassembly includes a fourth mating feature.
 11. The circuit interruptingdevice of claim 10, wherein the third mating feature includes aprojection and the fourth mating feature includes an opening configuredto receive the projection.
 12. The circuit interrupting device of claim8, wherein the battery assembly includes a battery assembly body, a capconnected to a first end of the battery assembly body, and a contactcasing connected to a second end of the battery assembly body.
 13. Acircuit interrupting device for use with a power distribution system,comprising: a housing containing a circuit interrupting mechanism; abattery tube coupled to the housing; and a battery assembly configuredto be inserted into the battery tube, the battery assembly comprising, abattery assembly body having a first end, a second end, and a body keyedportion, a battery positioned in the battery assembly body, a capconnected to the first end of the battery assembly body, a contactcasing connected to the second end of the battery assembly body andhaving a casing keyed portion aligned with the body keyed portion, apositive contact electrically connected to the battery and at leastpartially positioned in the contact casing, and a negative contactelectrically connected to the battery and at least partially positionedin the contact casing.
 14. The circuit interrupting device of claim 13,wherein the battery assembly body includes a shaft that extends throughthe cap and wherein a retainer is connected to shaft external to the capin order to connect the cap to the battery assembly body.
 15. Thecircuit interrupting device of claim 13, wherein the contact casingincludes a detent to connect the contact casing to the battery assemblybody.
 16. The circuit interrupting device of claim 13, wherein thecasing keyed portion mates with a keyed portion of the battery tube. 17.The circuit interrupting device of claim 13, wherein the contact casingincludes a positive terminal opening and a negative terminal opening.18. The circuit interrupting device of claim 13, wherein the at leastone battery includes a battery cell positioned in an outer casing havingfirst end facing the cap and a second end facing the contact casing, andwherein a lead extends from the first end of the battery casing to thesecond end of the battery casing.
 19. The circuit interrupting device ofclaim 18, wherein a groove is formed in the battery assembly body toreceive the lead.
 20. The circuit interrupting device of claim 13,wherein the battery assembly body includes a projection extending alongat least a portion of the battery assembly body, wherein the projectionhas a cross-sectional shape different from a major outer surface of thebattery assembly body.